Tuesday, January 07, 2014

On the 4th Day of Christmas...

... the cosmos gave to me, oh no, another kitty! Yes, on December 28th,
some wretch of a human being decided to dump an approximately 4-5 month
old kitten near my porch. This, on the heels of a devastating ice-storm -
sharp shards of ice everywhere, and a day before the onset of the worst
cold-spell we have ever had. Very cold for very long. Had my sister,
who was visiting that night, not gone back to her car for something at
the right moment, heard the plaintive meowing... Well, I shudder to
think. She surely would not have survived the cold for so long. When I
followed the sound, I spied a wee little thing, a kitten, maybe 4 months
old. Grabbing it quickly and firmly by the scruff before it could
escape, I exclaimed "it's a baby Zena" (the "new" kitty we had just
saved this past fall). Oh dear.Once I see them (read: have
them in the house), I’m done – toast. Folks, there is a reason why "kitten" rhymes with "smitten"!! Such an incredible cutie, as you can see, with wide innocent eyes. She had a nice round tummy, not starved at all, and in very good shape all-in-all. Not fearful either, which indicates she had no been out on her own for too long.

Yes, she has claws!!I say this happily because here in Quebec, the pet stores almost always declaw the kittens - so barbaric! Especially since these poor babies so often find themselves outdoors with no protection.

Baby "Zena"

Zena has just barely settled in, and I mean barely – still chaos
and “territory wars”. I don’t think she has ever been socialized with other
cats. Days are not so bad, but she seems to be hunting our gentle giant Manitou at night – while he's fast asleep - awful! Not just for the sudden awakening to THAT sound, and cat people will know what I mean.
Why
him? He is so non-confrontational. I think in her former outdoor life,
she spent all her time warding off potential danger and defending
herself from other cats. Nights must have been the worst, maybe she was
ambushed a few times, and maybe this is why she behaves this way. Her
sleep is sound and deep during the day. And now, this kitten….

Anyway,
time changes everything, as we all know, but for now the very familiar
symptoms of "cabin-fever" abound, and we are all dreaming of spring,
which seems so very very far away. The ice-storm just before Christmas
was devastating. Much of the lilac decimated, and lots of branches
snapped from trees. But luckily we were amongst those that retained
power - some had a dark Christmas - so sad. Here are a few scenes of
the aftermath:

Hee, just what you needed for Christmas, another cat! But she's a beauty, and so charming, who could resist? I find once you get over a half dozen, the territory struggles never end. We have two living in the basement who don't get along with two upstairs, etc etc Does the new kit have a name? Sheri

The kitten is no problem, really - the others have shown no issues toward her, but Zena is another matter. I think the poor thing was never socialized properly, and is very furtive, resting only briefly. Two in the basement, eh? Well, Zena is now being sequestered at night since we realized the extent of her nightly "raids". We are all sleeping much better, and I am sure Zena is as well, since she seemed compelled to patrol and attack. As for the kit, she is L.V. or Little Voice (a most charming movie), since she barely squeaks above a whisper. We are hoping the end of cabin-fever season, and onset of spring might alleviate the stress. Hope "springs" eternal! -Anya

That's cute, Little Voice. I haven't seen the movie, I'll have to look for it. For no reason we can fathom, Tonka and Buddy hate Mikey and will attack him. Mikey seems totally mild to us. He is the littermate of Arthur, who is accepted. However, Momcat, who has never become tame, prefers to hide in the basement away from people, and Momcat adores Mikey, so he mostly lives down there with her. In the summer, they both go outside. Cat relationships...they're complicated! I fear Zena may never settle in, as has been the case with Momcat, but good luck!

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About Me

I live in Quebec, Canada and my passions above all else are cats, gardens, fine wine and True Blue. Not always in that order of course, and sometimes all at once. But each an important and integral part of my day - even when the cold icy Quebec winds blow - and I dream of what lies beneath the snow - waiting - waiting....